The Exorcist currently beats Rosemary's Baby 63–38
Friedkin's possession outlasts Polanski's paranoia — the confrontation wins.
The Verdict
This matchup has 16 votes — still early. The picture may shift as more people weigh in.
Father Karras on the stairs — choosing to take the demon into himself, choosing to jump, the sacrifice completing Friedkin's argument that evil is real and can only be answered by someone willing to die fighting it — gives The Exorcist a moral clarity Rosemary's Baby deliberately refuses. Polanski's film is the more psychologically sophisticated achievement. Friedkin's is the more emotionally direct one. The lead says directness outperforms sophistication when the directness involves a priest willing to die for a child he barely knows. Moral clarity generates stronger engagement than moral ambiguity.
The Numbers
| Rosemary's Baby | The Exorcist | |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head | 38% | 63% |
| Overall Win Rate | 47% | 65% |
| Championships | 15 | 71 |
| Budget | $3M | $12M |
| Box Office | $33M | $441M |
Where This Matchup Sits
The Exorcist sits at #4 in Horror among 33 on BingeBracket.
When facing other films on the platform, Rosemary's Baby handles Psycho without much trouble — but The Exorcist doesn't. That shared opponent is one of the clearest places where these two films diverge.
The Exorcist with 71 titles and Rosemary's Baby with 15 — the tournament record and the head-to-head point the same direction.
The Exorcist at 36.8x its budget, Rosemary's Baby at 10.4x. The film that overperformed commercially also takes the head-to-head.
Think Rosemary's Baby deserves better?
You're in the 38%.
Play the bracket these 16 votes came from. Your pick shifts the result.
Where to Watch
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